Donation jar

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Interesting topic.

I always bring beer to friends houses when I go over and leave what isn't drank. A lot of times when friends come over to my house they don't bring beer because they know I will have plenty. If they have money to donate towards future batches then great. If not no biggie.
 
Rev2010 said:
I'm 100% happy to have friends, family, and co-workers drink my beer. I think, unless you have someone who's constantly over-consuming your beer, that asking for money is lame and honestly embarrassing. If the cost is an issue then you should limit the amount someone can have.

That said, one thing I have changed is that I no longer give beer to be drank elsewhere. What I mean primarily by that is these days my father-in-law wants me to pour him a beer and leave it on the hallway ledge (he lives in the attic, don't ask lol) so he can squirrel it away and have it with dinner or whatever. I've grown tired of that as HE is the one that is being anti-social and refusing to stick around and partake in family activities. So whenever he asks for beer that way I give him whatever bottle of beer I have laying around in the fridge that I bought and didn't like.

Seriously, I don't think it's that hard to sit and enjoy the beer with the person that made it and the rest of your family. So if you can't drink it in our company F YOU you ain't getting my beer!!


Rev.
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I think I might know you. Is your name Doug? Are you married to Carrie? Is you're father-in-law named Arthur?

Never mind... :smack: The Arthur I knew lived in the basement.
 
Rev2010 said:
Funny how these things always go the route of legal discussion. Many things people do frequently in their lives are technically illegal (jaywalking for example), but I doubt the government is going to break down his door for a donation jar. Can we just offer our opinions here without playing lawyer? :cool:


Rev.
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The world is actually bigger than home brewers and those of us that work at wineries and breweries have to follow the law. No, they wont break down the door or cuff us, they just pull our licenses and we close the doors.

:smack:
 
I look at it as a compliment. Now that I'm making good beer that I enjoy, I need them to enjoy. My kegerator only holds so much. I need them to drink it fit freshness. Better get back to kegging 4 brews for my friends.
 
Being that I am beginner Brewer, I have been giving a lot of my beer away. Mainly because I want honest feedback from as many people as possible. All I have been asking for in return is that people save and give me bottles. There's no bottle deposit in NC, so it doesn't cost them anything.

My wife on the other hand is a lawyer. She tends to frown whenever I want to do something 'illegal' per say. Haha
 
I make more than I drink and I gladly offer those that come over any beer that I make. Nobody goes crazy with over-drinking and I think they really enjoy it, which is really part of the reason I brew in the first place. I would never ask for money from my friends for what they drink. That being said, I definitely appreciate when someone brings over some beers for me to try, even if they are commercially brewed.
 
The only time I ask for anyone to pitch in is my brother in law, because he lives with me and drinks as much as I do lol but I don't make a big deal about it. I enjoy brewing, and if I had to drink it all myself I would either be in rehab right now or dead :goat: I mean, in the past 3 months I've brewed approx. 75 gallons of beer. When I finally set up a bar area in my house I might put up a list of ingredients that I need for future brews and if someone happens to show up with some grains, hops or yeast, well... RDWHAHB
 
Sounds like you got yourself a brewer's assistant.

Either that, or convince them to brew too so you can share bulk grain costs and beers!
 
jrcrilly said:
I'm all for that. We just need to recognize that the people who are "playing lawyer" are the non-attorneys who are offering advice on how to break the law. Such advice had better be countered by valid comments that such things ARE unlawful. Does the HBT community want someone to get into a bind because he believed and acted on bad advice found on HBT?
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I think anyone who get his legal advice from a beer forum is setting himself up for trouble. I have never once known a real lawyer who would offer some blanket legal advice without having all of the specifics. Just to play the devil's advocate, how do any of us know that your legal advice is any more valid than another's?

As for the money jar thing, I'd never do that but I will and have said something like "I'm supplying the beer, you guys can pitch in and order some pizza's".

When I used to hunt, I would barbeque a hog and tell everyone that I'm supplying the pig, they can bring the beer and whatnot.
 
If I had a dollar for every time a fraternity back in college tried to get away with using a "donation" as a way to get around the ABC laws to pay for a kegger, well... I'd have a donation jar full of dollar bills.

"It's not paying for beer, it's paying for the band!"
"It's not paying for beer, it's a donation!"
"It's not paying for beer, it's paying for this pencil you buy, and the people get the beer for free when they show the pencil to the brother standing by the keg!"

None of it ever worked. Dammit.

Personal side note: I'm at the point in my brewing career where I feel I should be paying THEM to drink my swill, rather than pay me. Maybe, SOMEday, this will be an issue. Probably, sometime just around when the seas run dry.
 
I am seriously considering a growler filling adapter just so I can give more beer away. I enjoy brewing as much as if not more than drinking and I always have more than I can consume.

You could have 1lb bags of grains or 1oz hop packets in a bin that your friends could buy and then give to you.
 
Rhumbline said:
I think anyone who get his legal advice from a beer forum is setting himself up for trouble. I have never once known a real lawyer who would offer some blanket legal advice without having all of the specifics. Just to play the devil's advocate, how do any of us know that your legal advice is any more valid than another's?
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I doubt there are many who are confused as to whether or not it is legal to sell homebrew (or any other brew) without a license or permit. The fact that folks wish to conceal or transform this activity by calling it something else is a clear indication that they know it is unlawful. The bad advice comes when folks say that disguising a sale as a donation magically makes it OK.

I don't need to hear any details before advising a client that a specifically unlawful act is unlawful. Of course, they don't ask ahead of time so I don't get to give that advice. I meet them later, when they are trying to minimize the consequences from an act they have already committed - and that they knew (or should have known) was unlawful.
 
Personally, I wouldn't either (put out a dontation jar that is).
But, I do find it interesting that it seems that a donation jar would be illegal. Here in Sweden (and we do have very restrictive alcohol laws), I believe it would not be illegal. As long as a 'donation' is not required for you to have the beer then it would be ok.
Even if I personally wouldn't, I don't have a problem with it either, especially if you are group of ppl enjoying the hospitality.
 
soot said:
Sounds like you got yourself a brewer's assistant.

Either that, or convince them to brew too so you can share bulk grain costs and beers!
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He's not interested in brewing lol just drinking... He zones me out the second I mention him helping me with the brew.
 
jrcrilly said:
I doubt there are many who are confused as to whether or not it is legal to sell homebrew (or any other brew) without a license or permit.
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I think you're taking a thread about a dude asking if others put a donation jar by the kegerator or not waaay too seriously. No one asked about selling homebrew illegally, someone asked about a donation jar. You can call it disguising or use whatever terms you want, but in the end it's a dude asking if we all think it's kosher to leave the option for friends to pitch in for the cost. No one is tax evading or commiting some major crime. Can't we just let the guy ask his question and get his responses?, which currently seem to already be an overwhelming "NO that's lame!"


Rev.
 
Put a donation jar next to the toilet. I did this at a party once (long before I started brewing) and I ended up with enough to pay the neighbor's kids to clean up the yard and take out the trash.
 
I gladly pour any over a pint or a couple. If I didn't want you to have any, I wouldn't offer it, and if i do offer it I certainly wouldn't charge for it.
 
Rev2010 said:
I think you're taking a thread about a dude asking if others put a donation jar by the kegerator or not waaay too seriously. No one asked about selling homebrew illegally, someone asked about a donation jar. You can call it disguising or use whatever terms you want, but in the end it's a dude asking if we all think it's kosher to leave the option for friends to pitch in for the cost. No one is tax evading or commiting some major crime. Can't we just let the guy ask his question and get his responses?, which currently seem to already be an overwhelming "NO that's lame!"


Rev.
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Personally, I see nothing wrong with a donation jar. I don't exactly expect any of my friends to turn me into the feds for it lol now, I wouldn't make them feel guilty for not donating if they couldn't either. I trust that most of my friends (all that I share with) will be willing to pitch in for the next brew if they regularly drink a lot of my beer. Ultimately though, if I invite you over for a beer then that means that I want your company while we enjoy the beer. It's the same as if I invite a friend to eat. I don't expect them to come to my house with money to hand for dinner. I don't own a bar or a restaurant, I just want to hang out with friends. That said, I still might put a donation jar up for anyone who wants to pitch in.
 
BrewingTravisty said:
Personally, I see nothing wrong with a donation jar. I don't exactly expect any of my friends to turn me into the feds for it lol now, I wouldn't make them feel guilty for not donating if they couldn't either. I trust that most of my friends (all that I share with) will be willing to pitch in for the next brew if they regularly drink a lot of my beer. Ultimately though, if I invite you over for a beer then that means that I want your company while we enjoy the beer. It's the same as if I invite a friend to eat. I don't expect them to come to my house with money to hand for dinner. I don't own a bar or a restaurant, I just want to hang out with friends. That said, I still might put a donation jar up for anyone who wants to pitch in.
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That was confusing. I think what you said was "If I let you in my house, I might "suggest" you pay, buy I might not because that would not be cool".
 
People only take advantage of you if you let them. If they drink up your homebrew without contributing something, stop offering. If they help themselves to your fridge or your taps, ask them not to. Or put a padlock on it.
 
If things were reversed I wouldn't mind adding to the donation jar but I would never personally do that. I think the difference comes with people who mainly brew to save money. I never really consider ingredient cost into the hobby since the time involved is far more valuable than the raw ingredients for a typical batch.

Now if someone wanted to clean my equipment in lieu of a $5 or $10 donation I couldn't fill their glass fast enough.
 
philipmeese said:
I agree with the "playing host" point of view. I enjoy having friends over and sharing my passion with them. Most are delighted my passion comes in liquid form :) As a guest, I would never want them to shell out for anything I might choose to share with them.

OTOH, I have thought that some time during the Octoberfest season, when I had more beer on tap than I could possibly think about drinking myself, I would pull the kegerator outdoors one weekend, invite a bunch of people over and put a donation jar there to be donated to a good cause.

Sounds like a great idea, right? Also illegal. At least in the State of CT, even a charity can not "sell" homebrew for fundraising purposes.
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I do believe in CA non-profit organizations can sell homebrew for donations to their charity.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=437429
 
I've had people ask me for beer funds at parties, and frankly it was super awkward. You invited me into your home, served crappy BMC, and want compensation for it? I could not get out of there fast enough.

I could never do that to a guest in my home.
 
I enjoy sharing what I brewed with my friends and family. I have a couple of buddy's that come over regularly and drink quite a bit. They bring me store bought craft beer from time to time as a thanks.
 
eatmorefrogs said:
Drink all you want, it's on the house. But if you waste it, I'll see you out back. Fisticuffs.
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I remember the time my buddy's (then) wife came over and I let her sample, along with everyone else. She would take a drink, say it was good and walk over to the sink to dump the rest. I had to quickly call her out and my buddy would finish her sample from then on. I couldn't believe it though, wasting what takes so much effort to make.
 
The one question I have for the OP is do your friends provide the beer at their homes?
 
I am only 2 brews down so i dont do this. I originally started out with the assumption a friend was gonna go halfers in equipment and ingredients cost. It never happened. He isn't making a lot lately though so I'm not upset. Right now im happy the beer is all mine to share with whoever i want. In the future depending how much I share with him, I may ask him to help out with the ingredients. My time is not an issue and I wont ask for donations for that.
 
I enjoy the process enough that I get frustrated when all my kegs are full. I have a lack of consumption problem sometimes which is only solved through guests / parties. I wouldn't want to do tips if it stopped anyone from drinking. (That said my friends are responsible drinkers, over indulgence is rare)
 
passedpawn said:
That was confusing. I think what you said was "If I let you in my house, I might "suggest" you pay, buy I might not because that would not be cool".
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Basically I was saying I would consider putting one out, say if I had people over drinking all of the time. I wouldn't try to pressure anyone into pitching in though. Kind of like if I invite you over for dinner, I'm not going to ask you to pitch in. But if you come over to dinner 4 days out of the week, I'll probably expect you to pitch in. Whether that means you bringing something, putting money in the jar, or helping with the clean up.


Basically I would expect common courtesy. I would probably cut someone off if they weren't pitching in in some way if they were coming over and drinking that much, but the only people who would come over that much are my best friends and we all have an understanding.
 
David_Trucks said:
I remember the time my buddy's (then) wife came over and I let her sample, along with everyone else. She would take a drink, say it was good and walk over to the sink to dump the rest. I had to quickly call her out and my buddy would finish her sample from then on. I couldn't believe it though, wasting what takes so much effort to make.
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Maybe she's a spitter, not a swallower.
 
I have a rule at my house: The first beer is free. And the second beer, it is also free. However, the third beer, and all subsequent beers consumed thereafter, are also free.

It's an unecessarily verbose rule. I should consider revising it to something shorter and more to the point.
 
I've got a donation jug it don't bring in much $$ though..month of October I went through 45 gallons of beer in my garage, my two sons donate more than the neighbors it gets out of control at my house people walk in and grab a cup and start pouring...I get around $20.00 a month in my jug..I had to put up a sign that says no coin paper money only....
 
I don't take money for my beer. It's been offered, but I've never taken it. I told someone if they wanted 5 gallons then I would merely ask them to bring me lunch/dinner while I am brewing. It isn't that I am made of money or anything, but the second thing I love about brewing is sharing it.
 

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